Thursday, November 01, 2007

A few weeks ago, a member of my favorite message board sent out an email asking for help. She was assigned an article on “going green” and needed ideas.

I didn’t respond. I find it slightly offensive that my lifestyle has been hijacked by the media and turned into an empty fashion statement, or worse, a way for obsolete politicians to get their name back in common use. At best, AT BEST, the piece would be in a sappy women’s magazine between “How to Tell If He’s Into You” and “Bigger Breasts in Just Nine Days!” Anyway, how does one fit an entire world view into a short article?

An afterthought: I should have sent her a polite and minimally detailed email with a few beginners’ tips, like hanging out laundry, eating vegan food, buying local, etc. I guess everyone has to start somewhere. I was raised by a pack of hippies, so my materialistic period was just a short hiatus from an eco-friendly lifestyle. Once the urge to rebel passed, I returned to my recycling, crocheting, soap-making roots.

Which brings me to a quandary. How many earth mamas and tree huggers out there are cradle conservers and how many converts? I’d guess about 40/60. What do you think? What is your eco background? Leave a message on my blog or email me at shastamarshalls@sbcglobal.net with “Blog Poll” in the message line. I’ll compile the statistics and give you a verdict on Monday.

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comments:

I was raised in the country by quasi-hippies and we were very eco-friendly. We had huge gardens, raised our own meat & had chickens. We always hung our laundry out to dry and didn't buy much of anything. BUT (and it's a big but) it was more because we were poor than because we were earth cookies. Once I grew up and started working I bought into (pun intended) all the excess. It is only due to all the media coverage of plastic oceans and polar bears that I started to rethink my way of life.

I was raised as a typical surburban kid. I am new to trying to live life a little more green. I am nowhere near a hippie or earthy or green mama, but I working on it. But I do have a LONG ways to go. It really helps me to read other people's blogs to find out what they do and what more I can do.